JP2003283391A - System for contactlessly identifying management information - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an error in reading data from an information carrier due to the movement between goods or a person and a information collecting means, in a system for reading data as an encoded signal with the information collecting means from the information carrier attached on the goods or person to contactlessly identify management information. <P>SOLUTION: A threshold for converting the encoded signal into a digital signal in the information collecting means is changed in response to the signal strength. In this way, digital conversion can be executed in a wide range of the signal strength and the change in distance due to the movement can be dealt with. Furthermore, the information collecting means is provided with an inversion detecting means to deal with the inversion of the phase of the signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a management information contactless identification system, and more particularly, to use a management information carrier attached to an article or a person to properly store, transport, and pass a person. The present invention relates to a management information contactless identification system for managing an article or a person as performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When managing inventory, movement, and the like of a large number of various kinds of articles, it is required to manage and process the articles reliably and efficiently. The same is required when managing the entrance and passage of a large number of people. In order to meet such demands, for example, a method of attaching a tag having a receipt number and a receipt place (store name etc.) to laundry, repaired goods, etc. and performing processing is adopted.

A method of writing a code suitable for optical reading such as a bar code as identification information in place of or together with a character on a tag, converting the code into an electric signal and mechanically reading the same has become widespread. ing. However, when a large number of articles are stacked in a warehouse or a transportation vehicle, it becomes difficult to read characters or bar codes written on tags of articles stacked below. In order to solve this, a system for identifying article management information from an information carrier such as a tag attached to an article without touching it is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-107707.

FIG. 8 shows a contactless identification system for article management information described in JP-A-10-107707. This system is composed of a writing / reading unit 1 or information collecting means for contactless detection of article management information, and a data carrier 2 or information carrier attached to an article.

The data carrier 2 includes a power supply unit 17, a memory 16, a memory control unit 15, a decoding unit 13, and an encoding unit 1.
4, composed of a tuning circuit 11. Writing / reading unit 1
Is composed of a control unit 4, an oscillator 3d, an encoding unit 3a, an encoding switch 3b, a decoding unit 3c, a transmitting coil L ₁ , a receiving coil L ₂ , a switch 7, a display unit 5, an LED 6, and a buzzer 8. The control unit 4 is connected to a higher-level computer 9.

When information is transmitted from the writing / reading unit 1 to the data carrier 2, the encoding unit 3a opens and closes the encoding switch 3b to drive the transmission coil L ₁ at a predetermined duty ratio. When receiving the information transmitted by the write / read unit 1 from the data carrier 2,
The reverberation generated in the tuning circuit 11 of the data carrier 2 is
The encoding unit 14 and the switch 12 encode it with different duty ratios, the receiving coil L ₂ receives it, the decoding unit 3c demodulates it, and reproduces the information from the data carrier 2.

[0007]

However, the intensity of the signal received as reverberation from the data carrier 2 in the receiving coil L ₂ of the writing / reading unit 1 depends on the positional relationship with the data carrier 2, for example, the distance. It changes as shown in FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (c). In order to convert this signal into a digital signal, as shown in the figure, it is cut at a predetermined threshold value s. When the level exceeding the threshold value is associated with Hi (1) and the level not reaching the threshold value is associated with Lo (0), digital conversion (demodulation) is performed as shown in FIG. 9D. However, as shown in FIG. 9C, the demodulated signal cannot be obtained unless the signal strength is low and the level of the flat portion reaches the threshold value. On the contrary, if the strength of the received signal is too high, FIG.
As shown in (a), both the flat part and the valley part exceed the threshold value,
No demodulated signal is obtained.

Further, even if the intensity of the received signal is within the proper range, the phase of the received signal may vary depending on the positional relationship between the writing / reading unit 1 and the carrier 2 (for example, the distance is an even multiple of λ / 4). However, it may be inverted with respect to the phase of the signal transmitted from the data carrier 2.

As described above, when the positional relationship such as the distance between the information carrier and the information collecting means changes, the signal obtained by demodulation by the information collecting means may not faithfully reflect the code information from the information carrier. That is, an error occurs in reading data from the information carrier. When the article or person to be managed moves by transportation, running, walking, etc., or when the information collecting means moves with respect to the article or person, the information carrier attached to the article or person (data carrier of FIG. 8). Since the distance and other positional relationships between 2) and the information collecting means (writing / reading unit 1) continuously change, there is a high possibility that a data reading error will occur. The probability and the degree of this error increase as the movement increases.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to contactlessly identify management information of an article or person, which comprises an information carrier attached to the article or person and information collecting means for contactless identification of the management information of the article or person. In the system, goods or people carry
An object is to prevent an error in reading data from an information carrier attached to an article or a person, even when moving by running, walking, or the like, or when the information collecting means moves with respect to the article or a person.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention encodes an electromagnetic wave to encode a management information carrier attached to an article or a person and management information about the article or the person from the management information carrier. Information collecting means for extracting the modulated signal in the form of a rectangular wave, and the information collecting means includes the digital signal Hi (1), when the level of the modulated signal from the management information carrier exceeds a predetermined threshold value. In the management information contactless identification system, which comprises demodulation means for converting the modulated signal into a digital signal by converting each to Lo (0) when the level does not reach a threshold value, the information collecting means includes the intensity of the modulated signal. A means for changing the threshold value corresponding to, and an inversion detection means for detecting the inversion of the phase of the modulated signal by the information collecting means,
It is characterized by comprising at least one.

In the present invention, the information collecting means includes an automatic gain adjustment circuit, and the threshold is changed in accordance with the intensity of the signal whose intensity variation is suppressed by the automatic gain adjustment circuit. Will improve further. This is because the signal strength corresponding to FIG. 9B can be obtained for a wide range of received signal strength.

The information collecting means of the management information contactless identification system according to the present invention includes both a means for changing the threshold value in accordance with the intensity of the signal and an inversion detecting means for detecting the inversion of the phase of the signal by the information collecting means. May be provided. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably collect information with respect to changes in the distance between the management information carrier and the information collecting means.

According to the present invention, not only mutual identification of individual articles and persons but also information of physical or physical conditions such as temperature governing articles, body temperature of individuals, blood pressure, etc. is contacted with the articles or persons. The present invention can be advantageously applied to a management information identification system for detecting information about a history without obtaining the information.

Regarding physical conditions in which goods are placed inside a warehouse or the like, an outline can be known from, for example, measuring instruments such as temperature and humidity provided inside the warehouse, but a large number of articles are stacked inside the warehouse or the like. The status of the individual articles given does not necessarily match those information. One factor is that there are distributions of conditions such as temperature inside warehouses, and in order to know the distribution in detail, it is necessary to install many measuring instruments. Also, when the articles are packaged, they are separated by the packaging material,
It is difficult to understand the actual condition of the article itself because the conditions inside and outside the package are different until the equilibrium is reached. The information carrier not only identifies the type and individual of the item, but also measures the environmental conditions such as the temperature where the item is placed and the history of the item, which has a great influence on the quality without touching the item. However, it is desirable to be able to record.

[0016] It is important not only to manage the physical condition such as body temperature and blood pressure of a plurality of persons, but also to manage the pathological condition of an inpatient in a hospital or the like, as well as the article being stored or transported. Especially at night when there are few visits by nurses, it is desirable to be able to measure and record the patient's body temperature, blood pressure, etc. without touching the patient so as not to disturb sleep.

The conventional management information contactless identification system described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-107707 only identifies the type or individual of the article by the information carrier, and has a great possibility of affecting the quality of the article. It does not give information about the environmental conditions such as the placed temperature or its history.

The article is, for example, a package that is being moved or stored in a predetermined facility. The physical condition is, for example, the temperature or humidity of an article that greatly affects the quality of fresh food or the like. The information collecting means receives the article management information from the management information carrier,
For example, the electromagnetic wave can be received as an intermittent or modulated signal.

When the information collecting means includes the inversion detecting means and the inversion of the phase of the signal is detected, the signal may be discarded without using the signal, or the phase of the signal may be inverted, and then the digital signal. You may make it convert into.

A thin management information carrier, such as a tag, is generally preferred because it is not bulky. When the management information includes records of physical conditions (temperature, etc.) of goods or physical conditions of a person (body temperature, blood pressure, etc.) for a predetermined period, for measurement / recording of temperature, etc. on a part of the management information carrier. It is equipped with a module, etc. The management information carrier is a command for changing identification information such as article number, person's name, member number, etc., and recording of physical or physical conditions such as temperature, that is, update of record, change of period, change of alarm limit, presence / absence of alarm. It may have a function of receiving a command such as the above from the information collecting means and executing the command.

The information collecting means may be a stationary device or an easily movable (eg, portable) terminal. The management information contactless identification system of the present invention is either a combination of a fixed management information carrier and a portable information collecting means, or a combination of a person or an article passing through a predetermined barrier and a fixed information collecting means. It can also be applied to.

The information collecting means instructs the management information carrier to change the identification information such as the article number and record the physical condition such as temperature, that is, update the record, change the period, change the alarm limit, and give an alarm. It may have a function of outputting a command such as presence or absence.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of a contactless identification system for article management information according to the present invention. The system comprises an information collecting means or a writing / reading unit 51 for contactlessly identifying the article management information, and an article management information carrier or data carrier 5 attached to the article.
2 and. The data carrier 52 includes a temperature recording unit 61, a memory 62, a control unit 63, and a transmission / reception unit 64. The writing / reading unit 51 includes a control unit 53 and a transmission / reception unit 54. The control unit 53 also has an interface control function, and is connected to the host computer 57.

FIG. 2 shows details of the transmitter / receiver 54 of the write / read unit 51, and FIG. 3 shows details of the transmitter / receiver 64 of the data carrier 52. The transmitter / receiver 54 includes a communication controller 55, an oscillator 56a, an encoder 56b, an antenna 56c, a circulator 56d, a detector 56e, and a decoder 56f. The transmitter / receiver 64 includes an antenna 65, a detector 66, a decoder 67, an encoder 68, and a communication controller 69.
Consists of.

The circulator 56d separates the transmission wave transmitted from the antenna 56c from the oscillator 56a via the encoding unit 56b and the reflection wave returned from the data carrier 52. The reflected wave separated by the circulator 56d is input to the decoding unit 56f via the detection unit 56e.

The encoding section 67 has a load switch 68A for changing the load of the transmission circuit by being driven based on the transmission data input via the communication control section 69.

FIG. 4 shows details of the decoding unit 56f. The decoding unit 56f includes an automatic gain adjustment circuit (AGC) 81, a decoding processing unit 82, a code determination unit (reversal detection unit) 83, and a control unit 84. The AGC 81 is connected to the detection unit 56e, and automatically adjusts the gain for the signal (reflected wave from the data carrier 52) input from the detection unit 56e according to the signal strength. The decoding processing unit 82 cuts the signal for which automatic gain adjustment is performed at a predetermined threshold value s. Levels that exceed the threshold are set to Hi (1), and levels that do not reach the threshold are set to Lo (1).
9 (d) by making them correspond to (0), respectively.
As shown in, the signal is digitally converted into a rectangular wave. AG
The signal input through C81 is subjected to phase inversion detection in the code determination unit 83. The inversion detection operation is determined from the output patterns of the Lo and Hi signals, and the code determination unit 83 outputs information on the normal and inverse of the signal phase to the communication control unit 55.

FIG. 5 shows details of the temperature recording section 61. The temperature recording unit 61 includes a temperature detection unit 71 and a central processing unit (CPU).
72, a clock circuit 73 for supplying a time signal to the CPU 72,
Memory 74 for storing measurement temperature, measurement time, etc., power supply 75
Equipped with.

When the temperature detecting section 71 of the temperature recording section 61 measures the temperature of the article to which the data carrier 52 is attached, the signal is stored in the memory 74 together with the measurement time signal. Under the control of the CPU 72, the stored contents are transferred from the memory 74 to the memory 62 at predetermined time intervals. Memory 6
A unique identification number of the data carrier 52 is also stored in advance in 2.

When transmitting a signal from the writing / reading unit 51 to the data carrier 52, a transmission wave as a radio frequency signal modulated by opening and closing an encoding switch (not shown) provided in the encoding unit 56b according to the input data. Is transmitted from the antenna 56c. The transmission wave transmitted from the writing / reading unit 51 is received via the detection unit 66 of the data carrier 52, and is decoded by the decoding unit 68. The signal obtained by decoding the transmitted wave is
It includes not only a drive signal for reading information such as an identification number and a temperature measurement record from the data carrier 52, but also information for updating the identification number and a data transmission command.

In order for the writing / reading unit 51 to receive the identification number, the temperature measurement record, etc. transmitted from the data carrier 52, the transmission wave transmitted from the antenna 56c is
Decoding unit 6 via antenna 65 of data carrier 52
7 and the reverberant vibration as the reflected wave is received by the antenna 56c of the writing / reading unit 51. The reverberation from the data carrier 52 is generated by the load switch 6
It is encoded with a duty ratio determined by the encoding unit 68 that short-circuits 8A. Therefore, the reflected wave received by the antenna 56c and separated by the circulator 56d is decoded by the decoding unit 5
When converted into a digital signal in 6f, the information from the data carrier 52 is reproduced as a digitally converted signal corresponding to the duty ratio by the encoding unit 68.

In the decoding unit 56f, the output of the detection unit 56e is input to the AGC 81, and its gain is automatically adjusted according to the signal strength. The signal automatically adjusted in gain and output from the AGC 81 is input to the decoding processing unit 82, cut at a predetermined threshold value s, and digitally converted as shown in FIG. 9D. The digitally converted signal is input to the code determination unit 83, and according to the protocol stored in the control unit 84,
Phase reversal detection is performed. When the sign determination unit 83 detects the phase inversion, information indicating the phase inversion is added to the digitally converted signal and the signal is output to the communication control unit 55. When the phase inversion is not detected, the information indicating the phase inversion is not added and the digitally converted signal is output to the communication control unit 55.

Further, when the sign judging section 83 detects the inversion of the phase, the gate (not shown) is closed,
The digitally converted signal may be rejected without being output to the communication control unit 55.

The writing / reading unit 51 includes a display section, an LED and a buzzer, which are not shown in the figure. The LED displays operations such as transmission and reception of the control section, and the identification number of the data carrier 52 is displayed on the display section. The corresponding temperature measurement record is displayed, and the buzzer sounds when the temperature deviates from the predetermined standard.

FIG. 6 shows an operation example in which the article management information contactless identification system of the present invention is applied to home delivery work. There are the following 7 steps from collection to delivery of luggage.
Among these, article management information is exchanged in steps (1), (3), (5), and (7). (1) Deposit luggage 91 from the shipper or producer. At this time, a data carrier 52 (article management information carrier having a temperature recording unit) is attached to the package 91, a package number and a temperature measurement start command are input from the writing / reading unit 51,
The vehicle 92 is loaded. (2) Cargo 91 is being transported by vehicle 92. Continue recording temperature. (3) Arrived at the collection site. Unload luggage 91 from vehicle 92,
The package number and the temperature record are transmitted from the data carrier 52 to the writing / reading unit 51. (4) Stored at the collection site. Continue recording temperature. (5) Depart from the collection site. Send the package number and temperature record from the data carrier 52 to the writing / reading unit 51,
The vehicle 92 is loaded again. (6) Cargo 91 is being transported by vehicle 92. Continue recording temperature. (7) Arrive at the delivery destination, unload the luggage 91 from the vehicle 92,
The package number and the temperature record are transmitted from the data carrier 52 to the writing / reading unit 51. Check the temperature for abnormalities, and read / write unit 51 to data carrier 5
Input the temperature recording end command to 2.

Write / read unit 51 according to the present invention
With the use of, the data can be reliably read from the data carrier 52 without paying special attention to the distance from the luggage 91.

[0037]

EXAMPLE An example of the management information contactless identification system shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described below. 7 (a) to 7 (e) show the shapes of signals in the embodiment of the present invention.
7A is a signal transmitted from the write / read unit 51 to the data carrier 52 (hereinafter referred to as a read signal), and FIG. 7B is a signal transmitted from the data carrier 52 to the write / read unit 51. FIG. 7C (hereinafter, referred to as a response signal) shows a general waveform of a signal received by the write / read unit 51. The numbers in the figure indicate time in μsec. The read signal is preceded by a reset signal and a command signal (both 300 μsec / 1 bit, 8 bits) for activating the data carrier 52.

FIG. 7D shows the waveform of the response signal.
(E) shows the case where the phase is inverted during reception. The response signal is 300 μs preceding the data signal (management information)
ec / 1-bit, 8-bit polarity determination signal is included. The breakdown of 1 bit of the polarity determination signal is 100 μsec ON.
(1) and 200 μsec are OFF (0). If one bit of the digitally converted polarity determination signal is as described above, the code determination unit 83 determines that the phase of the signal received from the data carrier 52 is not inverted. If 200μ
If sec is ON (1) and 100 μsec is OFF (0), it is determined that the phase is inverted. When the phase inversion is detected, by adding the information indicating the phase inversion, the communication controller 55 can prevent the data read error due to the phase inversion.

[0039]

Industrial Applicability The present invention is a management information contactless identification system for an article or person, which comprises an information carrier attached to the article or person and information collecting means, wherein the information gathering means sets a threshold value corresponding to the intensity of the modulation signal. At least one of the information carrier and the information collecting means, and the information collecting means includes at least one of the inversion detecting means for detecting the inversion of the phase of the modulated signal. Even when moving by, it is possible to cope with the strength and weakness of the modulation signal and the inversion of the phase due to the change in the positional relationship such as the distance from the information collecting means, and it is possible to prevent an error in reading the data from the information carrier. it can. For example, it is possible to easily manage the passage of a large number of people at an airport, a stop, a stadium, etc., by an information carrier carried by a person.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of an article management information contactless identification system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of a transmission / reception unit of the information collecting means of the article management information contactless identification system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing details of a transmitting / receiving unit of the management information carrier of the article management information contactless identification system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing details of a demodulation unit of the information collecting means of the article management information contactless identification system of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing details of a temperature recording unit of the contactless identification system for article management information according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an operation example of the contactless identification system for article management information of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a transmission signal, a reception signal, and a demodulation signal in the example of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a conventional article management information contactless identification system.

FIG. 9 shows a contactless identification system for article management information,
Explanatory diagram showing changes in input signal strength of the information collecting means

[Explanation of symbols]

1, writing / reading unit 2, data carrier 3
d, oscillator 3a, encoding unit 3b, encoding switch 3c, decoding unit 4, control unit 5, display unit 6, LED 7, switch 8, buzzer 9, computer 11, tuning circuit 13, decoding unit 14, code Conversion unit 15, memory control unit 16, memory 17, power supply unit 51, writing / reading unit 52, data carrier 53, control unit 54, transmission / reception unit 55, communication control unit 56a, oscillator 56b, encoding unit 56c, antenna 56d. , Circulator 56e,
Detection unit 56f, decoding unit 57, computer 61, temperature recording unit 62, memory 63, control unit 64, transmission / reception unit 65, antenna 66, detection unit 67, decoding unit 68, encoding unit 68A, load switch 69, communication Control unit 71, temperature detection unit 72, central processing unit (CPU) 73, clock circuit 74, memory 75, power supply 81, automatic gain adjustment circuit (AGC) 82, decoding processing unit 83, code determination unit 84, control unit 91 , Luggage 92, vehicle

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yutaka Saito             4-5-18 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Meguro             OK Building 2F Takion Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuo Matsubara             4-5-18 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Meguro             OK Building 2F Takion Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Atsushi Tanaka             4-5-18 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Meguro             OK Building 2F Takion Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B058 CA17 KA02 KA40 YA20                 5K012 AB05 AB18 AC11 AD05 BA07

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A management information carrier attached to an article or a person, and information collecting means for taking out the management information about the article or the person from the management information carrier as a rectangular wave-shaped modulated signal of an electromagnetic wave. The information collecting means converts the digital signal into Hi (1) when the level of the modulated signal from the management information carrier exceeds a predetermined threshold, and into Lo (0) when the level does not reach the threshold. In the management information contactless identification system including demodulation means for converting the modulated signal into a digital signal by doing so, the information collecting means changes the threshold value in accordance with the intensity of the modulated signal, and the information collecting means. A management information contactless identification system, characterized in that the means comprises at least one of inversion detection means for detecting inversion of the phase of the modulated signal. 2. The management according to claim 1, wherein the information collecting means comprises an automatic gain adjustment circuit, and the threshold value is changed in accordance with the intensity of the modulated signal whose intensity variation is suppressed by the automatic gain adjustment circuit. Information contactless identification system. 3. The management information contactless identification system according to claim 1, wherein the article is a package that is being moved or stored in a predetermined facility. 4. The management information contactless identification system according to claim 3, wherein said information collecting means is portable. 5. The management information contactless identification system according to claim 1, wherein the article or person is an article or person passing through a predetermined barrier, and the information collecting means is fixed. 6. The information collecting means comprises the inversion detecting means, and when the inversion of the phase of the modulated signal is detected,
The management information contactless identification system according to claim 1, wherein the modulated signal is rejected. 7. The information collecting means comprises the inversion detecting means, and when the inversion of the phase of the modulated signal is detected,
3. The management information contactless identification system according to claim 1, wherein the modulated signal is provided with information in which the phase is inverted. 8. The information collecting means comprises means for changing the threshold value in accordance with the intensity of the modulated signal, and inversion detection means for detecting inversion of the phase of the modulated signal. Management information contactless identification system. 9. The management information includes identification information for mutually identifying the article or person, and a record of physical or physical conditions of the article or person in a predetermined period.
The contactless identification system for management information according to claim 1, 2 or 8. 10. The management information contactless identification system according to claim 9, wherein the physical condition is a temperature of the article or a humidity of an atmosphere in contact with the article. 11. The information collecting means can output a command to the management information carrier, and the management information carrier can receive the command from the information collecting means and execute the command. 2 or 8 management information contactless identification system.